The Middle Ages

Question 1

What are the Middle Ages

Answer 1

It starts in 5th century, after the Romans leave and lasts until the 15th century, after the Wars of Roses end
The medieval period after Norman Conquest up until about 1485 was a time of almost constant war.

Question 2

Who fought against who during the Middle Ages

Answer 2

The English kings fought against the Welsh, Scottish and Irish noblemen for control of their lands

Question 3

When did Wales become annexed (added as an extra or subordinate part) to England

Answer 3

In 1284 (the 13th century) King Edward I of England introduced the Statute of Rhuddlan, which annexed Wales to the Crown of England. Huge castles, including Conwy and Caernarvon, were built to maintain this power

Question 4

What was the political climate in Wales by the middle of the 15th century

Answer 4

By the middle of the 15th century the last Welsh rebellions had been defeated. English laws and the English language were introduced

Question 5

What happened at the battle of Bannockburn

Answer 5

The English kings were less successful that in Wales and in 1314, the Scottish led by Robert Bruce, defeated the English. Scotland remained unconquered by the English

Question 6

What was the relationship like between England and Ireland at the start of the Middle Ages

Answer 6

At the beginning of the medieval period, Ireland was an independent country. The English first went to Ireland as troops to help the Irish king and remained to build their own settlements. By 1200, the English ruled an area of Ireland known as the Pale, around Dublin. Some of the important lords in other parts of Ireland accepted the authority of the English king.

Question 7

During the Middle Ages, what wars abroad were fought by the English kings

Answer 7

the Crusades and the Hundred Years War

Question 8

What were the Crusades

Answer 8

A war that many knight took part in that involved European Christians fighting for control of the Holy Land

Question 9

What was the Hundred Years War

Answer 9

A long war with France that actually lasted 116 years, from 1337 to 1453. It was in the 1450s that the English left France

Question 10

What was the Battle of Agincourt

Answer 10

One of the most famous battles of the Hundred Years War that took place in 1415, where King Henry V’s vastly outnumbered English army defeated the French

Question 11

What is feudalism

Answer 11

A system of land ownership used by the Normans in which the king gave land to his lords in return for help in war. Landowners had to send certain numbers of men to serve in the army. Serfs had a small area of their lord’s land where they could grow food but they could not move away

Question 12

What is a serf

Answer 12

An agricultural labourer bound by the feudal system who was tied to workmen on their lord’s estate. Some peasants had their own land but most were serfs

Question 13

In what areas was the feudal system used

Answer 13

England and it developed in southern Scotland as well. In the north of Scotland and Ireland, land was owned by members of the ‘clans’ (prominent families)

Question 14

What was the Black Death and when did it come to Britain

Answer 14

It is a form of plague that came in 1348 and was one fo the worst disasters ever to strike Britain

Question 15

What was the impact of the Black Death on Britain

Answer 15

1/3 of the population of England died and a similar proportion in Scotland and Wales. The smaller population meant there was less need to grow cereal crops. There were labour shortages and peasants began to demand higher wages

Question 16

How did the Black Death impact class structure

Answer 16

New social classes appeared, including owners of large areas of land (later called the gentry), and people left the countryside to live in towns. In the towns, growing wealth led to the development of a strong middle class

Question 17

What was the impact of the Black Death on Ireland

Answer 17

many in the Pale were killed and for a time the area controlled but the English became smaller

Question 18

What are the origins of Parliament

Answer 18

Its origins can be traced to the king’s council of advisers, which included important noblemen and the leaders of the Church. In the Middle Ages, Parliament began to develop into the institution it is today

Question 19

What happened in 1215

Answer 19

That year, King John was forced y his noblemen to agree to a number a number of demands. The result was the Magna Carta (Great Charter) a charter of rights establishing the idea that even the king was subject to the law. It protected the rights of the ability and restricted the king’s power to collect taxes or to make or change laws. In future, the king would need to involve his nobleman in decisions

Question 20

What were reasons for calling parliaments in England

Answer 20

For the king to consult his nobles, particularly when he needed to raise money

Question 21

Why were two separate Houses of Parliament established

Answer 21

The numbers attending Parliament increased resulting in two parts: the House of Lords and the House of Commons, being established

Question 22

Who sat in the House of Lords

Answer 22

The nobility, great landowners, and bishops

Question 23

Who was elected to sit in the House of Commons

Answer 23

Knights, who were usually small landowners, and wealthy people from towns and cities were elected. Only a small part of the population was able to join in electing the members of the Commons

Question 24

What kind of parliament developed in Scotland

Answer 24

A Parliament similar to the one in England. It had three Houses, called Estates: the lords, the commons and the clergy

Question 25

In what was was the legal system developed during the Middle Ages

Answer 25

The principle that judges are independent of the government began to be established. In England, judges developed ‘common law’ by a process of precedence (that is, following previous decisions) and tradition.

Question 26

In what way was the legal system in Scotland developed differently from in England

Answer 26

Laws were ‘codified’ (that is, written down)

Question 27

In what ways was a national culture and identity developed during the Middle Ages

Answer 27

English became the official language by 1400, in England. Official documents were being written in English and English became the preferred language of the royal court and Parliament. The Middle Ages also saw a change in the type of buildings in Britain and castles and cathedrals were built. England was an important trading nation during this period

Question 28

How did English develop during the Middle Ages

Answer 28

After the Norman Conquest, the king and his noblemen had spoken Norman French and the peasants had continued to speak Anglo Saxon. Gradually the two languages combined to form one English language

Question 29

What are some examples of the influence of Norman French and Anglo Saxon in modern English words

Answer 29

‘park’ and ‘beauty’ are based on Norman French words. ‘apple’, ‘cow’ and ‘summer’ are based on Anglo Saxon words. In modern English there are often words with very similar meanings, one from French and one from Anglo-Saxon: ‘Demand’ (French) and ‘ask’ (Anglo-Saxon)

Question 30

What are ‘The Canterbury Tales’

Answer 30

A series of poems in English written by Geoffrey Chaucer during the years leading up to 1400. The poems describe a group of people going to Canterbury on a Pilgrimage and some of the stores they told to each other.

Question 31

Who was William Caxton

Answer 31

The first person in England to print books using a printing press. ‘The Canterbury Tales’ was one of the first books to be printed by him and many of the stories from the collection are still popular. Some have been made into plays and television programmes

Question 32

What developments in language took place in Scotland during the Middle Ages

Answer 32

Many people continued to speak Gaelic and the Scots language also developed.

Question 33

Who was John Barbour

Answer 33

One of a number of poets who began to write in the Scots language. He wrote ‘The Bruce about the Battle of Bannockburn’

Question 34

Why were castles built in many places in Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages

Answer 34

Partly for defence. Today many are in ruins, although some, such as Windsor and Edinburgh, are still in use

Question 35

What characterised several of the great cathedrals, such as Lincoln Cathedral, being built

Answer 35

Several of the cathedrals had windows of stained glass, telling stories about the Bible and Christian saints . The glass is York Minster is a famous example

Question 36

What happened to the Cathedrals built in Britain during the Middle Ages

Answer 36

Many of them are still used for worship today

Question 37

How did English trade develop during the Middle Ages

Answer 37

English wool became a very important export. People came to England from abroad to trade and also to work. Many had special skills, such as weavers from France, engineers from Germany, glass manufacturers from Italy and canal builders from Holland

Question 38

What were The Wars of the Roses

Answer 38

A civil war from 1455-1485 over who should be kind of England. It was fought between the supporters of two families : the House of Lancaster (whose symbol was a red rose) and the House of York (whose symbol was a white rose).

Question 39

What is the battle that ended the War of the Roses

Answer 39

The Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485

Question 40

What was the outcome of The War of the Roses

Answer 40

King Richard III of the House of York was killed in the battle and Henry Tudor, the leader of the House of Lancaster, became Henry VII, the first king of the House of Tudor

Question 41

Describe the origins of the Tudor Rose

Answer 41

Henry VII married King Richard’s niece, Elizabeth of York, and united the two families. The symbol of the House of Tudor was the Red Rose of Lancaster with the White Rose of York inside of it as a sign that the two houses were not allies